Ryan Wilford and Alissa Frame pause outside an Appalachian Trail outpost. The couple recently completed a journey that took five and a half months, from Maine to Georgia.
Courtesy photo
CAPE NEDDICK - It was just over six months ago when Ryan Wilford embarked on a journey that was two years in the making: hiking the Appalachian Trail.
The expedition that began on June 3 ended on Nov. 16, and Wilford has since returned home to Cape Neddick with a kindred spirit, his girlfriend Alissa Frame, who he met during his 2,175-mile trek from Maine to Georgia.
Walking southbound from Baxter State Park, Wilford overcame inclement weather and even illness to complete his goal, experiencing the country one step at a time.
"I take away so many things," Wilford said after his return home. "The biggest thing I take away from this is faith in humanity. There are people out there who care, even if they don't really know you."
And what was his inspiration for the journey? Wilford said he always enjoyed hiking here in Maine, and felt that if he was going to undertake an experience like this, he had to do it sooner rather than later.
He also said the support of his family was instrumental, though he added, with a smile, that they probably didn't take him seriously when he first suggested hiking the Appalachian Trail. As it was, though, they supported his efforts, and after graduating from college in the spring - following two years of planning and saving money - Wilford turned his dream into reality.
Along the way, Wilford carried his belongings on his back, often slept in three-sided lean-tos made of logs and located at intervals along the trail and witnessed panoramic vistas while meeting people from all over the country along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a 250,000-acre greenway.
Wilford said the experience was unlike any he has had before. During the first leg of his trip, while in the 100-mile wilderness, Wilford met the woman who would later become his hiking partner and girlfriend, and who is now relocating to the York area as well.
"You're starting out in the most beautiful part of the trail," he said of the trek through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, adding that although he met Alissa Frame and several other hikers shortly after his expedition began, an illness that required him to stay in Millinocket meant it would be some time before he caught up with her while crossing into New Hampshire.
Unfortunately, Wilford said, the passage into New Hampshire also brought with it the worst possible weather.
"It rained for a week straight and did not let up," he said, shaking his head as he recalled their journey through the White Mountains under those conditions. "It's exactly what you don't want."
From Maine to Georgia, Wilford and Frame encountered all types of wildlife, from moose and deer to beaver, porcupine, turkey and wild pigs. In some areas, they also met lost hunting dogs who had learned that along the trail was a good place to find human companionship, food treats and even a way home.
While the rainy weather improved for the pair in Vermont, they would soon face a different challenge: a drought that dried up the woodland streams the hikers relied upon for their drinking water in order to avoid carrying heavy plastic bottles with their gear.
Once in Maryland, however, Wilford and Frame gave themselves a challenge: to complete one state in one day - hiking the 40 miles of the trail in that state in a 24-hour span. After that, he said, they needed a day of rest.
Portions of the Appalachian Trail itself bring with them psychological challenges, he said, such as traversing the 544 miles that are in the state of Virginia alone. With nearly one-quarter of the trail in that one state, Wilford said, it took nearly a month to move beyond Virginia's borders, and at times it was easy to lose sight of the ultimate goal after walking so long in one state.
Reaching Tennessee, however, Wilford said the views from the Great Smoky Mountains were second only to the White Mountains in terms of their beauty.
As he reached the trail's end in Georgia, Wilford said he was filled with mixed emotions: longing for the final step - completing the journey - and wishing it wouldn't end.
"It was really an incredible feeling," he said.
Back at home, Wilford said it is an experience that has changed his life.
"I have new appreciation for the things you always take for granted - a shower and a bed and a choice for healthy food," he said. "It also made me realize that if I have the mental stamina to handle something like this, I can pretty much do anything."
